A smart card is an electronic card in which an Integrated Circuit (IC) chip, provided with a micro processor and an operating system which have self-arithmetic functions, memory, and an encryption algorithm, is attached onto the surface of a plastic card, which has the same material and size as a general credit card.
Since smart cards can store and process a large amount of information and operations, and provide excellent security function, the necessity for smart cards has increased. For example, such a smart card can be used for finance, communication, medical services, security services, and broadcasting.
A Smart card Management System (SCMS) for installing, deleting, and updating an application (hereinafter referred to as an ‘applet’), thereby enabling various types of additional services to be used, has become required for smart cards.
Here, the SCMS is a system for managing all the data of a card as related to the type, manufacture and memory, and individual characteristics of each card, and managing applets for application to the card.
Meanwhile, not only terminal information but also various applets are installed in a smart card. Therefore, a collision about the right to manage a smart card between a mobile communication company, which provides the smart card, and an affiliated company, which provides applets, is unavoidable.
Therefore, research into a system and method for effectively managing a smart card on which various applets are installed must be performed.